Seahawks experiencing the other side of close game variance

Perhaps we (well, some of us including me) shouldn’t have treated a lot of those close Seattle Seahawks wins over the years with such disdain.

Seattle has lived on the edge especially since the 2019 season. They might have been a yard away from winning the NFC West that year, but they also were in such close contests that they could’ve just as easily missed the playoffs. In 2020 it was more of the same, but usually the Seahawks won.

Seattle was exceptional at winning close games. Extend that little stat to 1-8 points (aka one-possession games) and they’re an NFL best 18-5 from 2019-2020. From 2012-2018 they were nearer to middle of the pack but offset that by having a shit ton of blowout wins or at least wins that were fairly comfortable in the end.

Well in 2021 they’re 1-3. Geno Smith has had three opportunities for game-winning scoring drives and flubbed them all. Interception one week, fumble the following week, and a feeble turnover on downs on Monday night against the New Orleans Saints.

But it isn’t all Geno! Don’t forget they also lost a close game with Russell Wilson having his own opportunity to go for a game-winning drive against the Tennessee Titans. That was a double failure because they didn’t score at the end of regulation and almost committed a safety in overtime. Smith and Wilson have combined for four potential GWDs and went 0-4. If you want to really stretch it out further, the Seahawks had a chance to tie the Vikings in the 4th quarter and punted.

We’ve been on this magic carpet ride for a long time and it had to end at some point. It goes without saying that a healthy Wilson likely wins those close losses to the Steelers and Saints, or better yet assures they’re not close at all.

Seattle’s largest deficit all season is 14 points and yet they’re 2-5 and staring at a long, painful offseason already. The great teams usually find ways to pull it out at the end, and the Seahawks have done that for years. But there is nothing great about this year’s team, and to quote Bill Parcells, “you are what your record says you are.”